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Vote Joe Higgins Straight Talking Politician , He wants cannabis decriminalized

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  • 14-02-2011 6:32pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 36


    i was looking for some one to vote that was against prohibition of cannabis

    as cannabis has many medicinal uses always has always will ,

    anyways i emailed a few other party's , not many seen the same views as me ,
    i ended up looking at joe higgings as im in dublin


    here was there email back to me today



    Thanks for your email. Yes, the Socialist Party supports the decriminalization of cannabis. It is quite clear that prohibition doesn't work and has never worked. Our broad position on drugs is that drug use (and abuse) can only be resolved if the primary underlying reasons are resolved though the reasons why people use drugs obviously varies. Prohibition and criminalization clearly do not even attempt to resolve those issues.


    Regards,
    Stephen Rigney
    Parliamentary Assistant

    --
    Office of Joe Higgins MEP
    Socialist Party
    150 Pearse Street
    Dublin 2
    00 353 1 6795030



    this is why im voting for these there open minded ,

    also it could create a new multi million euro industrie over night ,


    what do u guys think ?????



    this is a new video of Joe Higgins telling it like it is CLICK HERE


    REALLY DO U WANT THE LIKES OF THIS GUY BACK

    biffo_herald_455622t.jpg



    " frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>


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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 27,645 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    While I support drug decriminalisation, I wouldn't change my vote because of the issue.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,233 ✭✭✭sdanseo


    Of all the reasons to vote, or not vote, for someone and you pick this? There are much more important issues.

    Mind you I do agree that if taxed to the hilt legalising it would bring in cash, but I still think it should be outlawed. The monetary benefits outweigh the medical problems that could occur in the future and in a society that tends to end up paying for the healthcare of vast numbers of people in full, we shouldn't sink to that level. Quick cash at the expense of human health is all it would be.

    Then there's always the fact that a vote for a smaller party like the socialists is completely wasted. They will not end up in government, they will not change national policy, and all the people who think they're great going and voting for SP, SF, GP are actually only taking votes from FG/Labour and leaving FF a few extra seats that they don't deserve.

    Vote locally in the council elections, that's why they exist - in this election people must think nationally or frankly, we're screwed. The last thing we need is some 4-way rag coalition with FF clinging to power that collapses in a year.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 36 newtadis


    nesf wrote: »
    While I support drug decriminalisation, I wouldn't change my vote because of the issue.

    sorry but that does not make much sense why would you not change your vote to help people who are suffering with terminal illness & also end this prohibition & earn loads of cash for this country
    also why make people who use cannabis criminals

    the time to change it is now


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 36 newtadis


    sdonn wrote: »
    The monetary benefits outweigh the medical problems that could occur in the future and in a society that tends to end up paying for the healthcare of vast numbers of people in full, we shouldn't sink to that level. Quick cash at the expense of human health is all it would be.


    thats not 100% true , please tell me the list of problems caused by cannabis and proven info .,


    and then look at the benefits , then see what out weighs what


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 36 newtadis


    you only have to look at rick simpson run from the cure ,



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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,911 ✭✭✭bradlente


    sdonn wrote: »
    Then there's always the fact that a vote for a smaller party like the socialists is completely wasted. They will not end up in government, they will not change national policy, and all the people who think they're great going and voting for SP, SF, GP are actually only taking votes from FG/Labour and leaving FF a few extra seats that they don't deserve.
    Whats the point in any party running besides Fine Gael and Labour then?There was me thinking we had a choice.
    Voting for any of the parties you mentioned aren't necessarily givng seats to FF if you still vote lower on the paper for FG and Labour are they?


  • Registered Users Posts: 27,645 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    newtadis wrote: »
    sorry but that does not make much sense why would you not change your vote to help people who are suffering with terminal illness & also end this prohibition & earn loads of cash for this country
    also why make people who use cannabis criminals

    the time to change it is now

    Eh, no, it means I prioritise changing our health service in general over one specific health issue.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,251 ✭✭✭paul71


    newtadis wrote: »
    sorry but that does not make much sense why would you not change your vote to help people who are suffering with terminal illness & also end this prohibition & earn loads of cash for this country
    also why make people who use cannabis criminals

    the time to change it is now


    Why would I vote on a single unimportant issue, I am far more concerned with the fact that by voting for socialists like Higgins we will end up having to close all our hosipitals when he has spent all the states revenue and Taxed us out of existance. Where will our terminally ill patients be with no hospitals?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,689 ✭✭✭Kasabian


    No offence intended but decriminalisation of hash should be way down the list of priorities of a voter in this election.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,233 ✭✭✭sdanseo


    newtadis wrote: »
    sorry but that does not make much sense why would you not change your vote to help people who are suffering with terminal illness & also end this prohibition & earn loads of cash for this country
    also why make people who use cannabis criminals

    the time to change it is now

    It's an addictive substance that is detremental to health especially if overused. And if Ireland's record on alcohol consumption is anything to go by, we do tend to over-indulge. Helping the few people that are terminally ill can be done by having it as a prescription medication rather than selling spliffs in boxes of 20.

    It's safer to have it outlawed than to effectively endorse its use. If cigarettes had been outlawed at their inception, I doubt we would have half the halth problems from them that we do now (albeit at the expense of a black market).

    Prohibition in the USA taught us that outlawing something once it becomes widely accepted just does not work, and thus it would be a totally irreversible decision too.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 427 ✭✭Kevo


    newtadis wrote: »
    sorry but that does not make much sense why would you not change your vote to help people who are suffering with terminal illness & also end this prohibition & earn loads of cash for this country
    also why make people who use cannabis criminals

    the time to change it is now

    It does if there are more important issues or if you disagree with some of your assumptions.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 36 newtadis


    love the way you lot think ya know it all lol


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 143 ✭✭bergkamp10


    newtadis wrote: »
    thats not 100% true , please tell me the list of problems caused by cannabis....... Well, newtadis, first off theres the munchies, (after having forgetting to buy them). Secondly, Changing the channel during the ad break, then remembering to change back 25minutes later. Thirdly, er, what were we talking about, sssfffpuh, ah, nice,


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 36 newtadis




  • Closed Accounts Posts: 143 ✭✭bergkamp10


    Less likely to die of stress if one is super chilled out all the time. One should always own an excellent pair of shades so when one is nicely sedated and has ones head together, one's eyes dont betray one. One gets one?


  • Registered Users Posts: 539 ✭✭✭Live4Ever


    I would love to see marijuana legalized, however it isn't the most important issue raised during this election. Far from it in fact.

    There are many pros involved with legalizing marijuana. People who have never used marijuana don't understand. It is the safest drug of all and probably the oldest.

    1. Alcohol is much, much, much worse than marijuana yet the majority of this country get blitzed at weekends and see nothing wrong.
    2. You cannot overdose on marijuana. Unlike heroin, cocaine, alcohol etc which has killed millions, marijuana has killed none.
    3. It is not addictive. Users become dependant, not addicted. When regular users stop using the drug they don't go 'cold turkey' like drug addicts or alcoholics. I use it everyday. Very few months I give up for 3 - 4 weeks. No problem, I function normally and never crave it when I do or feel any different.
    4. It's not jus a drug, it can be use for paper, clothes, rope etc.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 143 ✭✭bergkamp10


    Hallelujah praise d'Lord


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,948 ✭✭✭gizmo555


    Live4Ever wrote: »
    I would love to see marijuana legalized, however it isn't the most important issue raised during this election. Far from it in fact.

    I would have thought any significant potential source of tax revenue would be of the utmost importance in this election, aside from the cost of employing Gardai and the full panoply of the justice system to fight a completely unwinnable "war on drugs".

    Legalisation is going to happen, probably sooner rather than later. Last week an Economist/YouGov survey was published showing a massive majority of US citizens, including even a clear majority of over 65s, are in favour of legalisation.

    Just as the US led the way in the criminalisation of cannabis, it looks very likely they will lead the way in legalising it. In 80 or 90 years time, our grandchildren will be watching their version of "Boardwalk Empire" and marvelling at the quaintness of it all.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 143 ✭✭bergkamp10


    gizmo555 wrote: »
    I would have thought any significant potential source of tax revenue would be of the utmost importance in this election, aside from the cost of employing Gardai and the full panoply of the justice system to fight a completely unwinnable "war on drugs".

    Legalisation is going to happen, probably sooner rather than later. Last week an Economist/YouGov survey was published showing a massive majority of US citizens, including even a clear majority of over 65s, are in favour of legalisation.

    Just as the US led the way in the criminalisation of cannabis, it looks very likely they will lead the way in legalising it. In 80 or 90 years time, our grandchildren will be watching their version of "Boardwalk Empire" and marvelling at the quaintness of it all.

    thats very sad, no not your opinion, the fact that you are DEAD RIGHT is making me very sad.... pass me my utensils darling...


  • Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭randomhuman


    newtadis wrote: »
    you only have to look at rick simpson run from the cure ,


    I think we should legalise cannabis, but only if we can please, please ban this kind of bullscheisse at the same time. Cannabis can't be patented because it's a plant, and no patent means no money? What the frak is that dude smoking?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16,096 ✭✭✭✭the groutch


    there is of course the "gateway drug" theory, which is why it will probably never get legalised


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 36 newtadis


    there is of course the "gateway drug" theory, which is why it will probably never get legalised


    weres your proof thats its a gateway drug

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2538065.stm


    thats proof its not a gateway drug


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 36 newtadis


    http://www.drugscience.org.uk/
    Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs


    that is Professor david nutt he will explain all if anyone need scientific evidence on cannabis and all other drugs , committee members click here

    we cant keep our heads in the sand forever .

    cannabis is the most commonly used drug in ireland as said by mary harney her self ,


    so why make every single person that smokes it ill or not a criminal

    why not turn this into a cash cow educate & control it in a right manner

    seriously whats the difference between a doctor proscribing cannabis that does not kill or anti depressants that are test trial drugs which people have died from


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,939 ✭✭✭pclancy


    Newtadis you're approaching this from a very simple minded point of view of that cannabis causes no harm at all to the human body. It does cause harm. It may not be noticable now or if you're lucky, in the future, but smoking anything will harm your body, your respiatory system was simply not designed to handle hot tar-filled smoke.

    It had better be taxed a lot to pay for healthcare costs of the percentage of users that are going to contract lung, head or mouth cancers when they get older and for the psychological impact on the small percentage of the population that should never ever smoke it or they risk schizophrenia.

    For medical purposes ie pain releif it should be sold in tablet form, if you're going to smoke it then you're going to damage your respiatory system and you are increasing your risks of getting cancer. If you accept that risk then fair enough but who's going to pay for your treatment if you get cancer...therefore the tax will have to reflect that.

    Either way I don't think the majority of Irish people would want it legalised and certainly it doesnt have support in the medical community for the above reasons. Nobody argues against its merits for pain releift, hence you can get products such as Sativex.

    I'm a potsmoker myself and wish that I could have my own plant growing in the garden without fear of jailtime. But I also work in healthcare and see the effects it has on some peoples bodies and have read the studies about its links to cancer. Therefore I seriously doubt it will ever actually be legal, just as one day tobacco will have to finally be banned alltogether as the cost of keeping all the dying smokers alive will be massive.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,299 ✭✭✭spiralism


    Luke "Ming" Flanagan in my local constituency (Roscommon/South Leitrim) is pro legalisation AFAIK

    Having said that, there are much more pressing issues right now in this country, though it could be a source of revenue theoretically. Couldn't ever see it happening though


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 36 newtadis


    spiralism wrote: »
    Luke "Ming" Flanagan in my local constituency (Roscommon/South Leitrim) is pro legalisation AFAIK


    hes the mayor of Roscommon Council fair play to him


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 36 newtadis




  • Closed Accounts Posts: 143 ✭✭bergkamp10


    I think we should legalise cannabis, but only if we can please, please ban this kind of bullscheisse at the same time. Cannabis can't be patented because it's a plant, and no patent means no money? What the frak is that dude smoking?

    not taking issue with the dangers of cannabis from a carcinogenic stance, thats granted. Dangers of cannabis WHEN ABUSED can be measured against any substance when abused. Alcohol( cirrhosis). Caffeine(stroke). Paracetamol(very easy to overdose, all sorts of fallout there) the wonder drug ibuprofen(intestines of mush). Even the essence of life, WATER, will indeed do untold damage if abused. So everything is dangerous at some point. There is the option of ingesting cannabis, drinks, bakery, etc. Doesn't have to be smoked. On that point, isn't tobacco a plant? That hasn't prevented a million brands, patents, etc, benson and hedges, marlboro etc etc etc. So, The irish govts cut, from the price of a packet of fags, is about 80% (how much are they in eu, 2or3 euro ), irish govts levy on cigs is deliberately disproportionate to eu prices. Thats fine by me. Point is It would in theory be VERY easy to legalise cannabis, and then levy and regulate it. Cannabis can be brought above ground, instantly putting many minor dealers out of business, on many levels, the knock on could mean they cant sustain their operations if the huge illicit funding from hash has run out. There is also the issue of quality control which would be far greater assured if the product is state licensed and endorsed(and who here hasn't been stuck with sh1t hash). Not to mention the millions of garda man hours it would free up. Weighing up all the pros and all the cons (which of course there are, as with everything) measuring it all up, isn't it simply the lesser of two evils to legalise cannabis?


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,770 ✭✭✭Bottle_of_Smoke


    sdonn wrote: »
    Then there's always the fact that a vote for a smaller party like the socialists is completely wasted. They will not end up in government, they will not change national policy, and all the people who think they're great going and voting for SP, SF, GP are actually only taking votes from FG/Labour and leaving FF a few extra seats that they don't deserve.

    There's no such thing as a wasted vote. As an individual it is just so highly unlikely your vote will change the overall outcome.

    The closest in recent times was the Fermanagh/South Tyrone constituency in the 2010 UK general election. Sinn Fein won by four votes. Now that was hugely unusual yet it was still 4 votes more than one individual vote making a difference.

    So you should vote for the person you want to win. It registers the fact they got a vote from someone.

    You don't get a prize if the person you vote for winning so there's no point in deciding your vote along those lines.


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 7,142 ✭✭✭ISAW


    nesf wrote: »
    While I support drug decriminalisation, I wouldn't change my vote because of the issue.

    But a lot of young people might. they don't view mainstream poliical parties as particularly different. they identify with radicals.


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